The actual parting of the
ways perhaps came some time near the middle of the 5th century, when the
Valabhi Council was held. It is said that the canon of the Svetambaras had
been reduced to a state of disorder and was even in danger of being lost
altogether. Hence in the year 980 (or 993) after the death of Mahavira
(i.e. about the middle of the 5th century AD), a Council was held in
Valabhi in Gujarat, presided over by Devarddhi Ksahmashramna the head of
the shool, for the purpose of collecting the texts and writing them down.
The twelfth Anga containing the Purvas, had already gone astray at that
time. This is why we find only eleven Angas in the recension which has
come down to us, and which is supposed to be identical with that of
Devarddhi.

The Digambaras completely deny the authority of the texts collected by
this council. They say that not only was the knowledge of the 14 Purvas
lost at an early period, but that 436 years after Mahavira's Nirvana the
last person who knew all the 11 Angas had died. The teachers who succeeded
him knew all the 11 Angas had died. The teachers who succeeded him knew
less and less Angas as time went on, until the knowledge of these works
was completely lost 683 years after Mahavira's Nirvana. Thus the Valabhi
Council marks the final split between the Svetambaras and Digambaras.

There is some iconographic evidence that supports the theory that it was
the period of the Valabhi council when the two sects actually parted
company. As stated earlier all the Tirthankara images found at Mathura and
datable up to the Kusana period depict the Tirthankaras either in the
standing position and nude, or, if seated, in the crossed legged position,
are sculptured in such a way that neither garments, nor genitals are
visible. Thus up to the Kusana period both the sects worshipped nude
images. The earliest known image of a Tirthankara with a lower garment, is
a standing Rishabhnatha discovered at Akota in Gujarat. The date of his
image has been fixed at the later part of the fifth century.9 This was
shortly after the period of the Valabhi Council.

The geographical distribution of the two sects also would give some
support to the theory that the Valabhi Council was the chief reason of the
schism. It is found that the main concentration of the Svetambaras is
round about and within 500 kilometers of Valabhi. Most of the Jains in
Gujarat, and western Rajasthan are Svetambaras, while most of the Jains of
eastern Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and the Jains of South India are
Digambaras.

It is possible that so far as the Jains of Northern India were concerned,
they might have had a Council of their own at Mathura. Its president was
Skandila. This name does not occur in the list of Sthaviras of the Kalpa-Sutra,
but the name of Shandilya occurs 33rd in the list. Jacobi remarks10 in
this connection: "I think Shandilya is the same as Skandila, who was
president of the Council of Mathura, which seems to have been the rival of
that in Valabhi."

In other words, those who accepted the literature edited and collected at
Valabhi as canonical were later called Svetambaras, and those whom either
had their own Council at Mathura, or did not have any Council at all, as
in South India, were later called Digambaras.

The Digambaras of South India, long before the time the Valabhi Council of
the Svetambaras had met, had started developing their own sacred
literature. They had to do this because according to them the last of the
acharyas who knew even a part of the Angas had died 683 years after the
death of Mahavira. The Name of this acharya was Bhutavali. Nobody was left
who knew even a part of the original canon. The next pontiff according to
some Digambara lists was Bhadrabahu II. Kundakunda who claimed to be a
disciple of this Bhadrabahu, therefore, started writing the sacred books
for the Digambaras. He is said to have written altogether 84 such books.
The names of all the works composed by Kundakunda are not known. But three
of his works, viz., Samayasara, Pravachanasara, and Panchastikayasara are
considered so important by the Digambaras that together they are called
Prabhritatraya or Saratraya, a name that reminds one of the Prasthanatraya
of the Vedantists. Indeed Kundakunda is considered so important a
personality in the Digambara hagiology that a popular Digambara
benedictory runs thus:

MAngalam Bhagavana Viro, mAngalam Gautamogani,

MAngalam Kundakundyadyau, Jain dharmostu mAngalam.

To the Digambaras thus Kundakunda is as important a teacher as Sudharma is
to the Svetambaras.

Kundakunda was followed by many other Digambara writers such as Vattakera,
Kartikeya Svamin, etc. Practically all these authors belonged to South
India. Thus by the early centuries of the Christian era while the
intellectual center of the Svetambaras was developing in western India,
the Digambaras had their own intellectual center in south-west Karanataka.
Perhaps this geographical separation of the intellectual centers was the
main reason why the two sections of the Jains drifted. The Digambaras had
their own intellectual center in south-west Karanataka. Perhaps this
Geographical separation of the intellectual centers was the main reason
why the two sections of the Jains drifted. To some extent even the Gods
began to differ: The Digambaras in south-west Karnataka made Bahubali, a
son of the first Tirthankara, one of the most important deities and built
colossal statues for him. Bahubali on the other hand is scarcely, if at
all, mentioned in the Shvetambara mythology.

The Digambaras called their Church, the Mula Sangha or the Main Church.
The Mula Sangha is then said to have branched off into Nandi, Sinha, etc.
But all Digambaras to whatever gaccha (sub-sect) they might belong, claim
the descent of their gaccha ultimately from the Mula Sangha.

In the few centuries of the Christen era, the dominant sect among the
Jains of the Deccan and South India were the Digambaras. Only one
inscription - a grant - has been found in these parts of India, which
refers to the Shvetapatas (Svetambaras) by name. This is the Devagiri (Dharwar
district) inscription11 of king Mrigeshavarmana referred to earlier. His
period according to Saletore12 was AD 475-490.

The difference between the Svetambaras and the Digambaras

The total number of points by which the Digambaras differ from the
Svetambaras are eighteen. These are listed below:

The Digambaras do not accept the
following Shvetambara beliefs:
1. A kevali needs food;

2. A kevali needs to evacuate (nihara);

3. The women can get salvation. (In order to get salvation a woman has
according to the Digambaras to be born again as a man).

4. The Shudras can get salvation;

5. A person can get salvation without forsaking clothes;

6. A house holder can get salvation;

7. The worship of images having clothes and ornaments is permitted;

8. The monks are allowed to possess fourteen (specified ) things;

9. The Tirthankara Mali was a woman;

10. The eleven of the 12 original Angas (Canonical works) still exist;

11. Bharat Chakravarti attained kevali hood while living in his palace;

12. A monk may accept food from a Shudra;

13. The Mahavira's embryo was transferred from one womb to another; and
Mahavira's mother had fourteen auspicious dreams before he was born. The
Digambaras believe that she had actually 16 such dreams;

14. Mahavira had a sickness due to the tejolesya of Goshala.

15. Mahavira had married and had a daughter.

16. A cloth offered by the Gods (devadusya) fell on the shoulders of a
Tirthankara.

17. Marudevi went for her salvation riding an elephant;

18. A monk may accept alms from many houses.

REFERENCES
1. For a discussion on the dates of these Schisms, see at the end of
Chapter V.